#109: Jeff Worn - President & CEO of South Georgia Pecan Company

Jeff Worn is President & CEO of South Georgia Pecan Company, the largest nut-sheller in the world. 

On this episode, Chris and Jeff discuss taking over his family business, growing the company to $300M in revenue, the domestic and global pecan industry, much of the industry nuances that are influenced by a growing market in China, and more. Enjoy!

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris

Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/

(02:49) - Jeff’s Story Growing Up and What Lead Him to Takeover Southern Georgia Pecan

(07:35) - What did your family business look like when you first entered the picture?

(12:31) - Why aren’t there government subsidies for pecans but there are for other nuts?

(15:34) - What is the dynamic of a contract between you and growers?

(18:46) - Verbal Agreements in a Tight-Knit Industry

(20:22) - What months are considered ‘Pecan Season’?

(24:53) - Is the pecan market relatively new in China?

(26:23) - What happens from the day you pick up the pecans all the way to delivering to the final customers?

(28:05) - How do you measure the quality of a pecan?

(31:25) - How long do they sit in cold storage?

(32:09) - How much of the plant-work is done by machines vs. humans?

(32:39) - What sets the market for pecans? Why does it fluctuate so much?

(34:25) - What causes a bad crop season?

(35:17) - Are y'all making the final product in-house or are you just delivering pecans to folks who will make the ice cream, pies, etc.?

(36:17) - Is there a pecan allergy or is it just peanut allergies?

(37:20) - How long has this business been in your family?

(38:08) - Are there a lot of new entrants into the industry or is it largely family-based?

(39:28) - What were the big leaps you made since starting off in a sales role?

(48:08) - Building a Plant Out in El Paso

(50:33) - When did you become President & CEO?

(53:01) - What are the top things that stood out to you when you went about changing a 100-year old culture?

(56:52) - Do you have an end goal?

(58:20) - What does the institutional capital that’s entering the market look like?

(58:57) - Do you have a childhood experience that shaped the trajectory of your life?

(1:01:26) - What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

(1:03:08) - If you owned a billboard that you could put anything on, what would it say?

The FORT with Chris Podcast is produced by Straight Up Podcasts